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Crimson Skulls
The Crimson Skulls are a Space Marine Chapter of an unknown founding, led by their Chapter Master known only as the "Forgotten Father". History Much of the Crimson Skulls' past deeds remain a mystery. A cluster of freak Warp Storms cut their homeworld of Antares off from the rest of the galaxy for millennia, leaving the 10th Company stranded outside of the system with no leadership for the better pa rt of a century. It is unknown to this day when exactly these Warp Storms first manifested. The stranded Initiates remained in orbit around a distant world until they received a distress signal from another Crimson Skull, a Captain whose name has been lost to history, returning from his tour with the Deathwatch only to find their homeworld seemingly lost, with the Chapter's new recruits being the only known stragglers. Assuming command once more and declaring himself acting Chapter Master, the Captain led the Initiates out into the galaxy, vowing to rebuild their numbers in the hopes of one day returning to Antares. The Captain himself had suffered a near-fatal injury during his tour with the Deathwatch, costing him his voice. Finding himself among a Company of recruits who weren't yet familiar with the Chapter's traditions or history, and himself being unable to teach them, he worried the Crimson Skulls as a whole may die out. The remaining Crimson Skulls soon reformed into a fleet-based Chapter and began travelling Imperial Space, slowly building their numbers and joining numerous Crusades. The fleet made a tradition of returning to Antares' solar system to monitor the Warp Storms once every century. At some unknown point, the Captain was grievously wounded and interred into a Dreadnought chassis. He became known as "The Aeternal" due to his lack of a known name. Thousands of years passed, and the Chapter's routine inspection of Antares' home system some time in M39 found that the Warp Storms had vanished without a trace, with the planet itself seemingly untouched. Initial surveys found that the world's Hive Cities had been seemingly destroyed, with the native populace reverting to a primitive feudal society, with nations ruled by noble houses fighting amongst one another for land and scavenged technology. Once deemed safe, a small expeditionary force was sent into the mountains to explore the old Fortress-Monastery in search of any survivors, with The Aeternal joining them as a guide. To their surprise, the entire complex was abandoned, with no signs of struggle; the inhabitants seem to have left of their own volition and vanished without a trace, and all records held within had been expunged for reasons unknown. The only evidence that any Astartes had been here prior was the abundance of old models of Power Armour, and a single dead body slumped in the Chapter Master's throne, clad in rusted MkII "Crusade" Armor and a single Lightning Claw on his left hand. The expedition reported back to the fleet and soon the Chapter made planetfall, taking up residence in the Fortress-Monastery once more. Their time away had caused them to develop a single-minded obsession with their past, scouring countless worlds for even the tiniest shreds of information and hoarding relics wherever they were found. The Fortress Monastery was named "Ancestors' Summit" in honor of their lost forefathers. Initial contact with the native populace was unsuccessful; they had come to worship the disappeared Chapter as "Messengers of the Emperor" and did not believe them and the new arrivals to be one and the same. The then-Chapter Master, an Astartes by the name of Cretian Arkus, returned to Ancestors' Summit and adorned himself with the ancient armor worn by the corpse found in the throneroom, and later returned to make contact once more. Meeting with the nearest noble family, calling themselves House Pleiades, Arkus was this time greeted with open arms, with the nobles proclaiming that the "Forgotten Father" had returned. Soon a meeting was held with Arkus, House Pleiades and the other noble families of Antares and a truce between them was formed, ceasing their squabbling and swearing fealty to the Crimson Skulls once more The "Primaris Incident" Upon conclusion of the Indomitus Crusade, a force of Primaris Marines was sent to join the Crimson Skulls. These newcomers were met with distrust and resentment, with them being unfamiliar with the Chapter's culture or traditions and having a lack of interest in finding their history. Tension soon boiled over into full-blown conflict as the two groups clashed, with the Primaris Marines being exiled to the Orphan and kept seperate from the main Chapter structure as a way to stay distanced. Renaming themselves the "Orphans of Antares", this new addition to the Chapter would continue to resent it's parent, but would allow it's troops to rejoin the main Chapter if they so wished, upon earning their trust. Others would roam Antares and live in seclusion. Chapter Initiation Rites The Crimson Skulls initially recruited from any suitable worlds they would encounter while cut off from Antares, but recruitment was restricted entirely to their homeworld upon their return. Each Noble family offered up all but one of their sons each generation to join their ranks, and tournaments were held amongst the common folk, with the victors being chosen for implantation. Upon selection, potential Initiates were sent unarmed into the ruins of the Hive Cities for a full year with no weaponry, and were expected to survive by themselves by any means as well as search for any lost relics of the Chapter. Approximately seven in ten aspirants would disappear in the ruins, never to return. Those that did were then inducted into the Chapter's 10th Company. Chapter Tradition Next to nothing is known of Chapter traditions before the loss of Antares. What little is known is derived from artifacts recovered upon their return to Ancestor's Summit, with any and all significance being presumed. Their time wandering the galaxy caused their curiosity to grow into a full-fledged obsession, to the point of repeatedly abandoning Crusades to follow even vague rumours. Following their last Crusade before returning to Antares, most other Chapters and Imperial Guard Regiments give the Crimson Skulls a wide berth, believing their participation in any campaigns to be a flight risk. Upon their return to their Homeworld, the Chapter as a whole almost never leaves the system, instead exploring their homeworld and it's moon in search of any information on their past. Seven of the ten Companies are dedicated to different aspects of studying their past, with the exceptions of the First, Fourth and Tenth Companies; 1st Company: Chapter Veterans & standing garrison of the Fortress Monastery (Unaligned) 2nd Company: Historical record keeping. 3rd Company: Artifact restoration. Responsible for forging and maintaining Chapter wargear. 4th Company: Unaligned. Notable for being the only Company that regularly leaves the system until the Ultima Founding. 5th Company: Artifact retrieval. 6th Company: System Exploration. 7th Company: Native Diplomacy. 8th Company: Planetary Garrison. 9th Company: Orbital Garrison. 10th Company: Chapter initiated (Unaligned) Chapter Organization Chapter Command Chapter Master: The Forgotten Father. Retinue: "The Brass Guard", assembled from Sternguard or Vanguard Veterans of the Forgotten Father's choosing. Chaplain: Kardas Auriga. Works closely with the 3rd Company. Chief Librarian: Erandur Sagittarius. The Chapter has very few Librarians due to a flaw in their gene-seed that reacts badly to Psykers for an unknown reason, and few survive for very long before succumbing to madness. As a result there is no official Librarium. Master of the Forge: Gallius Sagittarius. Works closely with the 3rd Company. Other members: Primaris Lieutenant "The First", The Aeternal. 1st Company Led by 1st Captain Oberon Virgo. The 1st Company mostly consists of Sternguard and Vanguard Veterans, with Terminator armour and Venerable Dreadnought being dispersed throughout the Chapter. 2nd Company Led by 2nd Captain Tarnis Auriga. This Company contains an unusually high number of Dreadnoughts. 3rd Company Led by 3rd Captian Hephaestus Caelum. This Company contains most of the chapter's Techmarines. 4th Company Led by 4th Captain Talius Pisces, twin brother of 7th Captain Gallus Pisces (formerly led by Armion Pleiades) The 4th Company is somewhat alienated from the rest of the Chapter, as the former Captain Pleiades' influence has caused the Company as a whole to embrace new technologies instead of simply revering the old. They are often sent away on campaigns beyond Antares while the rest of the Crimson Skulls focus on their past. 5th Company Led by 5th Captain Ferron Galian. Notable for being the only Captain not affiliated with any of Antares' noble houses. This Company contains a large number of Land Speeders and aircraft. 6th Company Led by 6th Captain Dorius Orion. This Company specializes in boarding missions and close-quarters fighting, due to the amount of time they spend on-board various ships exploring the solar system. 7th Company Led by 7th Captain Gallus Pisces, twin brother of 4th Captain Talius. Whereas his twin, Talius, was raised as a warrior in the smaller of House Pisces' twin nations, Gallus grew up a diplomat in the larger, more peaceful nation. His Company specialises in maintaining relations with the planet's populace on the Forgotten Father's behalf. 8th Company Led by 8th Captain Varro Pleiades. This Company is the most well-rounded in terms of ability, due to being the planet's main defence force. 9th Company Led by 9th Captain Torrin Virgo. The 9th Company specializes in aerial warfare and ship-to-ship combat, due to being responsible for the Chapter's fleet and orbital defences. Most of their Company consists of various aircraft. 10th Company Led by 10th Captain Jerle Orion. This Company consists of the Chapter's Scouts and any other Initiates. Orphans of Antares (Primaris Company) Officially led by Primaris Captain Cygnus, but internally follows the direction of Kasterberous the Bitter. The Chapter's detachment of Primaris Marines are kept in their own chapter to be kept at arm's length. While some Companies have adopted Primaris members, these few are required to prove their worth before integrating into the Chapter as a whole. This Company is the only one not based on Antares, instead being found on the planet's moon. Notable Figures The Forgotten Father Chapter Master of the Crimson Skulls. Notable for not being a single individual, but a moniker taken on by each successive Chapter Master. The chosen Astartes gives up his name and titles, and vows to never show his face to his brothers again. This ritual came about from the traditions of Antares' population, who revered the Chapter as demigods, and believed a being known as "The Forgotten Father" to be their immortal leader. Originally taken on to ensure the natives' loyalty, this became tradition as those same natives began to swell the Crimson Skulls' ranks. The Forgotten Father wears a suit of MkII "Crusade" Power Armor and wields the Ancestor's Hand; a relic Lightning claw bearing the faded and heavily rusted symbol of their Chapter. On the suit's waist hangs a brass chain, on the end of which hangs the skull of his predecessor. The Aeternal Formerly a Captain, The Aeternal's name has been lost to history. Once a member of the original Chapter before Antares was lost, The Aeternal was on a tour in the Deathwatch when the Warp Storms broke out, on which he suffered an injury that cost him his voice. Taking on the position of Chapter Master upon his return, he led the remnants of the Chapter away to rebuild, before being mortally wounded and interred into a heavily-repaired Contemptor Dreadnought chassis that was recovered on their crusade. Upon their return to Antares, The Aeternal took up residence in the Fortress-Monastery's lower levels, silently guarding a room with unknown contents, and going as far as to threaten his own brothers who try to enter. While the Chapter knows that he and he alone has knowlege of their Chapter's lost history, but it's also believed that he knows of their origins, and who- or what -caused the Warp Storms in the first place. Cretian Arkus Former Chapter Master. Notable for leading the Crimson Skulls upon their return to Antares, and becoming the first Forgotten Father. He was known to favour a jump pack and a relic Chainsword once belonging to The Aeternal before his interrment. Armion Pleiades DISCLAIMER: This lore was written using events that happened during games, I would never just make a character this powerful without it actually happening. Veteran Sergeant, formerly Captain of the 4th Company. Pleiades was one of eight brothers, and was among seven of which House Pleiades offered up to the Crimson Skulls to join their ranks. During his trials, Armion became fiercely competetive, outright coming to blows with the other recruits (with the exception of his brothers) whenever he came into contact with them, believing in "survival of the fittest" and being convinced that his noble blood gave him superiority over the others. While exploring the ruins, Pleiades was attacked by a band of raiders who had come to plunder the site for themselves, and defended himself using a Bolt Pistol he had stolen from House Pleiades' reliquary without his family's knowlege, and would claim to find during his trial. In spite of the more advanced weaponry, he would have died were it not for the intervention of a group of fellow recruits, a fact to this day he stubbornly denies. Armion and five of his brothers survived the trials and would stick together during their time as Initiates, and later as full-blown Astartes. Eventually becoming Sergeant of his own Tactical Squad in the 4th Company, Pleiades would find himself the squad's sole survivor after a clash with the World Eaters, with a Hellforged Contemptor Dreadnought tearing through his men. Surrounded by his fallen brothers, both in name and in blood, Pleiades was ready to throw down his weapons and accept his fate before he saw the battered and lifeless body of the Forgotten Father in the distance. Finding a newfound fury and desire to survive, Pleiades fought with the mechanical horror until he was too horribly wounded to stand. Dragging himself towards his Bolt Pistol, Pleiades mouthed a silent prayer to both the Emperor and the Forgotten Father and fired a single shot, taking the monstrosity down in one miraculous hit. Breathing a sigh of relief, Pleiades fell back and was later retrieved by another surviving group of Crimson Skulls, who had come to retrieve the Forgotten Father's body. A century passed and Pleiades assumed command of the 4th Company. The battle with the World Eaters had left him bitter and conflicted; he saw the Forgotten Father, a supposedly invincible demigod, in a lifeless, bloodied heap, only for him to later return as if nothing happened and claim to have not fought in the battle? Realizing his faith in the Ancestors was a lie, Pleiades sought to end this tradition of deceit once and for all. What happened next is unknown, but resulted in Pleiades being stripped of his rank as Captain and sent to the Deathwatch for several years as punishment. Upon his return, Pleiades returned to the rank of Sergeant and led another Tactical Squad into battle when the World Eaters warband returned. Confronted by a Maulerfiend, Pleiades' squad was cut down to himself and two others before he struck another seemingly impossible killing blow with his Lightning Claw, a weapon he had brandished since his original days as Sergeant in admiration (and later mockery) of the Forgotten Father. This action saw him and his surviving men promoted to Sternguard Veterans, where they serve to this day. Pleiades was also partly responsible for the "Primaris Incident" that saw the Chapter's new brethren break away from the Crimson Skulls. He was personally responsible for Kasterborous the Bitter's interrment into a Redemptor Dreadnought. The First The First is a Primaris Lieutenant, and was the first Primaris Marine to regain the Crimson Skull's trust and rejoin the Chapter. He would side with the Crimson Skulls during the Primaris Incident, and was allowed to keep his rank and colours as reward. Kasterborous the Bitter Redemptor Dreadnought of the Orphans of Antares, former Primaris Captain. Mortally wounded in battle by Armion Pleiades during the Primaris Incident, Kasterborous was the first and only Primaris Marine in the Chapter to be interred into a Redemptor Dreadnought. Whereas the Crimson Skulls saw interment as a great honour, Kasterborous saw it as a curse, and harbored a deep hatred of Pleiades as a result. Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Unknown Geneseed Category:Unknown Founding